OPERA GARNIER VISIT

OPERA GARNIER

Best way to visit Opera Garnier

Visit Opera Garnier

The Palais Garnier  is a 1,979-seat opera house, which was built from 1861 to 1875 for the Paris Opera. It was called the Salle des Capucines, because of its location on the Boulevard des Capucines in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, but soon became known as the Palais Garnier, in recognition of its opulence and its architect, Charles Garnier. The theatre is also often referred to as the Opéra Garnier (French About this sound  and historically was known as the Opéra de Paris or simply the Opéra,[7] as it was the primary home of the Paris Opera and its associated Paris Opera Ballet until 1989, when the Opéra Bastille opened at the Place de la Bastille.[8] The Paris Opera now mainly uses the Palais Garnier for ballet.

The Palais Garnier has been called “probably the most famous opera house in the world, a symbol of Paris like Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre, or the Sacré Coeur Basilica. This is at least partly due to its use as the setting for Gaston Leroux’s 1910 novel The Phantom of the Opera and, especially, the novel’s subsequent adaptations in films and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s popular 1986 musical.[9] Another contributing factor is that among the buildings constructed in Paris during the Second Empire, besides being the most expensive, it has been described as the only one that is “unquestionably a masterpiece of the first rank.” This opinion is far from unanimous however: the 20th-century French architect Le Corbusier once described it as “a lying art” and contended that the “Garnier movement is a décor of the grave”.

The Palais Garnier also houses the Bibliothèque-Musée de l’Opéra de Paris (Paris Opera Library-Museum), although the Library-Museum is no longer managed by the Opera and is part of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France. The museum is included in unaccompanied tours of the Palais Garnier. **

OUR BEST AND FAVORITE TOURS

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Opera Garnier Day Tour

Just like the audiences of the past, you’ll enter the Palais Garnier via the Members’ Rotunda, where you will discover the architect’s signature design and the arabesque decorations of the ceiling. Your guide will then explain the building’s history with all the twists and turns that have led to the construction of the palace in its current form for us to admire today. You will then pass in front of the fascinating statue of Pythia before reaching the Grand Staircase, the pinnacle of high society, where the audience ...

90 min | English
From 17 €

Covered Passages & Opera Garnier | POG

Join us to discover the Parisian secret passages during a walking visit (around 2 hours). Take your time to encounter the authenticity of the town and of its inhabitants, its mysteries and some anecdotes from its history. Strolling down the streets, you will find unusual things like the Buren Columns, the Vivienne shopping arcade, the Choiseul cover passage... You will discover corners and treasures of the capital city. Guided tour by licensed guide inside Garnier Opera, you will admire the magnificence and beauty ...

3 hour(s) | English
From 35 €

Opera Garnier After Hours Tour

With the help of a tour guide, explore the Palais Garnier after the venue has been closed to the public. You’ll hear the stories and myths that surround the Opera in a silent atmosphere that adds to the sense of mystery. Your guide will explain the history of these grandiose premises via the story of Erik, the famous Phantom of the Opera in the novel by Gaston Leroux. Your tour will enable you to immerse yourself in the fantastic atmosphere of the novel, exploring the space and appreciating the architectural beauty ...

80 min | English
From 21 €
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